Request for Proposal (RFP) Template

Project TitleCompany Background [Insert a concise paragraph outlining your company’s background. Four to five sentences is a typical length for a small or medium-sized company.]

Project Description [Insert a summary of your project, including the problem/opportunity, goals/objectives and any information that will help the vendors understand the need for the project. Be sure not to outline specific requirements in this section. A small project may consist of eight to10 sentences while a larger project could be several pages in length.]

Design Requirements [Insert an outline of any requirements that pertain to the design of the project. This could vary depending on the type of project. For example, a website or marketing-related project may include information regarding branding standards or a style guide, whereas an IT project may include information pertaining to how the project deliverable will operate. Length varies widely based on the type of project.]

Technical and Infrastructure Requirements[Insert any technical or infrastructure-related requirements, such as a server or database configuration. Length varies depending on the type of project.]

Functional Requirements[Insert an outline of all the functionality you would like your project to have and include a short description. For example, an e-commerce project may include a catalog, shopping cart, order history and a related products page. Length varies widely based on the type of project.]

Estimated Project Duration[Insert the estimated duration of the project or the required completion date.]

Assumptions and Agreements[Insert a list of any assumptions or agreements the vendors must meet. For example, you may want to indicate that bids cannot exceed a certain amount, that the proposals will not be returned or that you reserve the right to dismiss any proposal for any reason. Length varies depending on the type of project.]

Submission Information[Insert the deadline for submission and the mailing and/or e-mail address]

For Additional Information or Clarification[Insert a list of contacts who will be available to clarify any questions regarding the RFP. It is not uncommon to have separate contacts for specific disciplines; for example, one contact for technical questions and another for marketing questions.]

Basis for Award of Contract[Insert a short paragraph or list that outlines your evaluation criteria. It is not uncommon to list the weight that each criterion holds in relation to the others.]